https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/5388/slideshows/homeMedium/Picture1.pngChristians in ActionSt. Mary of the Falls Parish is actively involved in helping those in need in our community...http://www.ofcia.org/_blank

https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/5388/slideshows/homeMedium/clediocese.gifSt. Mary of the Falls is a Parish in the Diocese of ClevelandTo find out more about our diocese, click here!http://dioceseofcleveland.org/_blank

It's time to turn in your old palms

Please leave your old palms in the baskets in the vestibules. They will be used to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday, which is March 6.

Today's Readings

Prayer Requests ~ OREMUS

Oremus is the invitation to pray. To join the Oremus prayer team or to submit prayer requests, contact Gretchen Ratcliff at 440.655.2385 or gratcliff35@gmail.com, or drop your intention in the box on the table in the parking lot vestibule!

No intention is too small or great for our God!

Register for eGiving

Have you already slipped on those New Year’s resolutions? Skipped a few days at the gym? Slept in, instead of that morning run? Picked up fast food instead of packing a lunch?

Don't worry, eGiving with Faith Direct is an easy resolution to keep! By enrolling in online giving, you will simplify your monthly budgeting and provide St. Mary of the Falls with consistent, reliable support.

Welcome from Father Wally Hyclak

We, St. Mary of the Falls, are a spirit-led people who pledge themselves to continued growth as a Eucharistic community centered in Word and Worship.

We dedicate ourselves to witness and openness to the unknown of God's will, to molding ourselves into a family of God - a parish all can truly call home.

One more day, God's way!

Fr. Wally

2019 Catholic Charities Appeal

The 2019 Catholic Charities Annual In-Pew Appeal will take place in our parish the weekend of February 9/10. All who have not received the mailing from Bishop Perez, or have not had a chance to respond to it, will be asked to consider making a generous pledge to support the ministries and services provided by Catholic Charities. If you have received the mailing, please respond generously.

This year’s appeal theme is Walk in Faith. Give in Joy. Your generous support will transform the lives of others, to offer dignity, possibilities and companionship to those who are most vulnerable. Hear from three people whose lives have been transformed by you at www.catholiccommunity.org/videos.

PARISHIONERS! Please don't fall for this email scam!

Recently, an email that appeared to be from Fr. Wally was sent out by hackers.

If you receive an email from Fr. Wally (or any friend), asking for help, think twice before you reply. Well-meaning church congregations are being duped out of money after receiving an email from their pastor requesting help. If you reply, you'll be asked to buy iTunes Gift Cards for a parishioner with cancer. Some parishioners, because they are very generous people, might think the email asking for money really is from Fr. Wally (or other friend).

Unfortunately, the iTunes Gift Card scam is a common ruse. Once the scammers get the code on the back of the card they’re gone. The FBI reportedly receives more than 800 complaints a day about this scam — and people lost more than $1.3 billion in 2016 to the iTunes Gift Card scam. The reason scammers ask for iTunes Gift Cards rather than cash is the codes are hard to trace — and once they have the code they can resell the card to get money.

Until they find a way to stop the iTunes Gift Card scam, we just need to use caution when dealing with people online. Never take someone at their word - before you act on the request, call your friend to see if they really are in need.

There were three very important clues in the scam email that went out last week:

Neither Fr. Wally nor any member of the parish staff will ever reach out to you personally via email to ask for money.

While we're on the subject, phishing emails are one of the most common online threats, so it is important to be aware of the tell-tale signs and know what to do when you encounter them. Here are five ways to spot phishing attacks:

The email asks you to confirm personal information. When an authentic-looking email makes requests that you wouldn’t normally expect, like personal information or banking credentials, it’s often a strong giveaway that it’s not from a trusted source after all. Do not reply or click any links. Instead, contact the sender or organization directly. Do not use any communication method provided in the suspicious email.

The web and email addresses do not look genuine. Take a moment to examine the email address. You may find that it’s a bogus variation intended to appear authentic ‒ for example: @mail.airbnb.work as opposed to @Airbnb.com. Malicious links can also be concealed with the body of email text, often alongside genuine ones. Before clicking on links, hover over and inspect each one first.

It’s poorly written. It is amazing how often you can spot a phishing email simply by the poor language or spelling used in the body of the message. Check for spelling and grammatical mistakes, as well as strange turns of phrase. An email that is riddled with mistakes is likely a phish.

There’s a suspicious attachment. Attachments can contain a malicious URL or trojan, leading to the installation of a virus or malware on your PC or network. Even if you think an attachment is genuine, it’s good practice to always scan it first using antivirus software.

The message is designed to make you panic. An email may claim that your account may have been compromised and the only way to verify it is to enter your login details. Alternatively, the email might state that your account will be closed if you do not act immediately. Ensure that you take the time to really think about whether an email is asking something reasonable of you. If you’re unsure, contact the company through other methods.

Being cautious with emails is your best defense. When in doubt, throw it out! Even if you know the source, if something looks suspicious, delete it.

And finally, it's a good idea to regularly change your email password.